


From Across the Room

by kingkageyama



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Deaf Character, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2015-08-08
Packaged: 2018-04-13 13:58:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4524615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingkageyama/pseuds/kingkageyama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daichi wasn`t sure if it was a wave of bravery or insanity that led him to stand up from his armchair and approach the beautiful stranger who had entered the bookshop, but either way he made his approach. He fired off his request for coffee, cursing himself for not being able to slow his speech. The other man stared for a moment, eyes firmly glued to Daichi’s face, eyebrows furrowed together. He abruptly looked down and reached towards his pocket, pulling out his phone, tapping out a message. Daichi's eyes met with a brightly lit phone screen held mere inches from his face, his eyes skimming the words on the screen:</p><p>  <b></b><br/><i>I’m sorry. I can’t hear.</i><br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	From Across the Room

**Author's Note:**

> A light, fluffy DaiSuga bit I did out of boredom on my wild Friday night off. 
> 
> Ten points to you if you can pick out my favourite character who'll basically always be in my fics. (Plus, Kageyama if you turn your head and squint).
> 
> Enjoy!

_I am a grown man with mature tastes in literature._ That was the mantra Daichi repeated to himself as he browsed the fantasy section of the bookshop a brief walk from his apartment. His fingers skimmed lightly over the spines of the books in front of him, head ducked to protect his identity in case any acquaintances of his found themselves in the quiet store. _I am a grown man with mature tastes in literature. These tastes just so happen to include dragons._ He repeated the phrase to himself a few more times before settling on a promising volume, a jet black dragon curling across the front cover, smoke flowing in tendrils from its nostrils. Tucking the book beneath his arm, he walked towards the cashier. Daichi knew her well – he frequented this spot often – she was one of the two owners of the cozy bookshop.   _Kiyoko,_ Daichi recalled as he she pulled the book towards her, smiling softly at Daichi as she did so. She was soft spoken, and seemed the type to be delicate with most things, Daichi thought. She was more than a bit different than the other owner, Yachi, an enthusiastic young girl who was more than a little clumsy. Throughout his visits Daichi had come to know them well, and he was incredibly glad the two offered him a place to buy and read his embarrassing novels in piece. When she was finished Daichi thanked her, sliding the book off of the counter. He decided to stay for a while, selecting one of the cozy armchairs in the half of the store that had been thoughtfully converted into a comfortable reading area.

                The area had a sort of a mismatched charm, the different articles of furniture clearly donated or bought second-hand at varying times. Daichi settled in, opening the cover of his new novel. After casually reading the first few paragraphs, the light chime of the front door echoed in his ear. The bookstore was rarely busy, but saw enough business to stay afloat. With the chime of the door he absentmindedly lifted his eyes to the customer walking in the door. Reflexively, he lifted his book back in front of his face to hide what he feared was a completely slack-jawed look of awe. Striking silver-blonde hair glistened in the dusty yellow glow of the bookshop, sweeping across the entering man’s forehead in dainty wisps. He was average height, but built long and sinewy in a way that reminded Daichi of some woodland creature. The man smiled politely at Kiyoko, his eyes scrunching slightly at the corners with the action, and walked towards the back of the store with confident strides. His hands gripped the strap of a fading brown messenger bag as he scanned the handmade signs listing the genres found on each shelf.

                Daichi continued to hide his face as he attempted to discreetly watch the man as he looked through the books, delicately running his finger over the spines, tilting his head slightly at times to scan the title of a book that caught his eye. A blush forced its way onto Daichi’s face as he tore his eyes away from the stranger, knowing that staring for this long was already odd. He forced his eyes back down onto the page, but found himself reading the same sentence over and over again as he fought the urge to turn back to the shopper. His focus was completely snapped as he felt a person walk past him to settle into a large chair across the small reading area.

                It was either Daichi’s fortune or misfortune – he hadn’t yet decided - that the person he saw when he looked up was none other than the silver haired man, book in hand, arranging himself to get comfortable in the soft armchair. Daichi subtly watched the man as he sifted through his pockets for something, pulling out a couple of bobby pins and clipping the hair that fell delicately in his face back to make reading easier. Daichi fought the urge to clutch his chest at the sight, the other man opening the book, his eyes darting quickly across the as he took in the text intensely. _He’s probably reading something fancy,_ Daichi thought, _he looks like the person who reads classics in their original languages because the translations just don’t “feel the same”._ He attempted to read the title of the book while peeking out from the side of his. He stifled a giggle as he read the title. _“Dragon Assassin”_ , the cover read – two fiery red dragons gracing the cover. This slight, otherworldly man who Daichi was _sure_ was some sort of high-level intellectual appeared to be about as much of a nerd as Daichi was. He fought the urge to run over to the man and strike up a conversation – but that would be weird, wouldn’t it? _But what’s the worst that could happen_? Daichi pondered.

                He wasn`t sure if it was a wave of bravery or insanity that led him to stand up from his armchair -  growing  more uncomfortable by the minute, - but he rose quickly, smoothing the front of his pants in the process.  He set his now-abandoned book down on a small side table before turning and closing the gap between him and the other man, inhaling a few steadying breaths as he went. He stepped towards the stranger with the soft face, and as he finished his approach the other man looked up. Daichi had to take a few _more_ steadying breaths after seeing the man up close. His face was soft but finely angled, a fair colour dotted with a single beauty mark below his left eye. The dark brown pools of his irises met Daichi`s as he looked up questioningly, a single eyebrow arched slightly. One more steadying breath.

                “Hi, uh, sorry to bother you – and I’m sorry if this is too weird so just stop me if it is. I saw you walk in a little bit ago and I couldn’t take my eyes off you and now you’re reading the same ‘high quality’ fantasy that I am and I was wondering if you would maybe like to grab coffee sometime. Or something. But only if you want.” Daichi fired off, cursing himself for not being able to slow his speech. It was a fair trade-off though; he thought fast speech was likely better than slow, wavering speech. The other man continued to stare for a moment, eyes firmly glued to Daichi’s face, eyebrows furrowed together. He abruptly looked down and reached towards his pocket, pulling out his phone. He began ferociously tapping at the screen. _Wow,_ Daichi thought _, this is maybe the most blatant rejection I’ve ever faced. He actually pulled his phone out._ Daichi’s shoulders slumped and he mumbled a “sorry for bothering you” as he began to turn away from the other man. He was stopped when he felt a hand grab lightly at his sleeve. Turning back towards the man, his eyes met with a brightly lit phone screen held mere inches from his face. It took him a moment to realize there was text on the screen. His eyes skimmed the words:

**_I’m sorry. I can’t hear._ **

                Daichi looked back at the man briefly; he was watching Daichi’s face intently. He turned back to the screen to finish reading the text,

                **_I tried to read your lips but they were going a mile a minute. If it’s not a problem do you think you could repeat what you said?_**

                Daichi paused for a moment, not wanting to mess things up or say the wrong thing. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and opened up a blank note. He began tapping away at the keyboard, thankful that he hadn’t been rejected outright. Although to be fair, the other man still didn’t know what Daichi was proposing exactly. _There’s always time for rejection_ , Daichi thought to himself, finishing the note and giving it a once over.

                **_Sorry, I guess I was a little nervous about bothering you. I couldn’t help but notice you when you walked into the shop. If it doesn’t sound creepy, I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Then you grabbed a fantasy book on top of all that. I’d like to get to know you, if you’d be willing. Would you like to grab a coffee with me sometime?_**

                Daichi attempted to steady his hands as he turned his phone towards the other man, extending his arm out to place it in his hands. Now standing, the man held the phone in his hands – long fingers wrapping gently around the device - eyes skimming the screen before glancing back up with Daichi, eyes wide. His mouth opened slightly in surprise before he lightly bit one corner of it, the action slowly turning to a smile. He grinned at Daichi before quickly turning back to Daichi’s phone, tapping out another message.

                **_I’d love to – if that doesn’t sound too eager! You wouldn’t happen to be interested in talking about dragons would you? ;)_**

                He noted the phone number typed below the note, and flushed slightly as he read the dragon comment. He enjoyed fantasy, he _really_ enjoyed it, but it wasn’t really something he liked to boast about or talk too much about. People tended to have opinions along the line of _“Daichi, shouldn’t a man in his twenties have grown out of dragons and wizards?”_ Remembering that he had just seen this man with a fantasy book not five minutes ago calmed him, and he grinned at the message on his screen.  Quickly opening a new note so that he didn’t lose this _highly_ important phone number, he typed his message.

                **_I am_** _highly **interested in talking about dragons. My name’s Daichi, by the way.**_

                He flashed the other man the screen and was met quickly by a phone held up in reply.

                **_And mine’s Sugawara. But you can call me Suga._**

 _Suga,_ Daichi thought to himself – imagining how the two soft syllables would feel rolling over his tongue. Daichi nodded and gave Suga a wave and turned slowly to return to his seat, stopping abruptly when he remembered he hadn’t given the other man his phone number. He spun on his heel quickly, digging through his pocket for the pen he kept with him, motioning Suga to wait while he did so. He patted his pockets and glanced at the small tables in the reading area, desperately searching for a scrap of paper to write his number on. His search was interrupted by Suga extending his arm outwards, a small smirk settling on his face. Daichi hesitated for a moment before extending his hands outward, steadying Suga’s arm as he carefully wrote out the numbers one-by-one on his fair skin. As he finished the last numbers he lifted his face so Suga could see it, “Just like in High School isn’t it?” he said, making sure he didn’t fire off his words as quickly as he did the first time. Suga laughed lightly and nodded as Daichi clicked the pen shut, returning it to his pocket. Suga waved lightly to him again as he took a few steps back, returning the wave.

                Slightly flustered at the encounter, Daichi stepped over and collected his book from where he set it on the side table. He silently cursed himself as he walked towards the exit for apparently _forgetting_ how to walk, having to consciously put one foot in front of the other to avoid stumbling. He caught Yachi’s eye on the way out, she was stocking some shelves near the exit before she stopped for a moment to giggle and give Daichi an encouraging thumbs up. He pursed his lips out of embarrassment (and to hide his excited smile) and pushed his way out of the shop. For good measure, he rolled the name ‘Suga’ over his tongue a few times, mumbling it under his breath. He smiled to himself, acknowledging how _right_ those two syllables felt.

***

                Daichi lounged on the sofa in his shared apartment several hours later, contemplating his life while staring at the ceiling. Absentmindedly, he twirled a pen through his fingers as he heard his roommate clattering around the kitchen. The sound of pots and pans banging about didn’t make the thinking process easier, so he abandoned the attempt and rose from the couch. He lazily padded over to the doorway of the small kitchen, running a hand through his short onyx hair in the process. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he took in the sight of what was likely every piece of cookware in their kitchen spread across the floor.

                “Do we have a sieve?” Kuroo asked, pulling his head out of a low cupboard. Daichi shrugged, unsure if they actually _did_ – he didn’t particularly feel like wasting his brain power making an inventory of every kitchen item the two shared _._ Kuroo sighed dramatically – mumbling something likely insulting below his breath - and returned back to the cupboard, the peak of his unruly black locks brushing the frame in the process.

                “Do I even want to know what you’re doing?” Daichi sighed, not unlike the way an exhausted parent questions their mischievous two-year-old.

                “Bokuto put off his paper until tonight so I’m brewing him a Thermos of my death coffee and bringing it to him.” Kuroo replied, pulling himself out of the cupboard again and resting back down on his shins on the linoleum floor. A shiver ran through Daichi, chilling him to the bone. He’d only fallen victim to Kuroo’s deathly combination of four separate types of coffee mixed with likely too many caffeine pills on one occasion. The thought of the murky sludge that kept him up for days tore through him like a horror flashback. “I was thinking that once I make the regular coffee and add in the espresso I’d add in some instant coffee for a little extra pop. Maybe put in some of those energy shots, it sounds like he’ll need it.”

                Daichi raised a hand in protest as he clenched his eyes shut, “I really don’t want to know what horrible concoction you’re making, just don’t kill him,” Daichi sighed, “I don’t have the energy to be accomplice to murder anytime soon”.  The thought of his date with Suga ran through his head again and he ran his tongue against the back of his teeth nervously. “You don’t know sign language, do you?” Daichi asked after a moment. Kuroo looked up at him, a sly grin spreading across his face.

                “Well I know one sign that has come in quite handy for me in situations when I want to voice my _displeasure_ with people,” Kuroo began, lifting a defiant hand up, flicking up a defiant finger to demonstrate his sign. Daichi shook his head in frustration.

                “For real, Kuroo.” Daichi pleaded as Kuroo rose to begin brewing his coffee.

                Kuroo glanced over his shoulder at Daichi a moment before turning back to the coffee maker, dumping in coffee grounds by the spoonful. “Bro, not to be a dick, why would I know sign language?” Kuroo asked while cracking open several cans of store-bought coffee.

                Daichi rested his weight against the doorframe. He shrugged nonchalantly, “I don’t know, maybe to communicate better with customers at work?” Kuroo worked in sales at an electronics store, so Daichi had been hopeful that he had put a little extra effort into his job.

                “That could be a good idea but no. Don’t know any. Why are you asking?” questioned Kuroo, dumping the store bought coffee into a slowly heating pot along with the freshly brewed coffee. He began stirring absentmindedly.

                “Do you really want to know about the ways I embarrass myself?” Daichi groaned.

                “Always,” Kuroo smirked, adding instant coffee to the toxic brew he was still stirring.

                Daichi sighed and decided to begin his story. “I went to the bookstore earlier today, and when I was sitting reading my book this guy came in and _wow,_ Kuroo he was just…” Daichi trailed off, making several vague but distressed gestures, a pained look on his face as he tried somehow to convey Suga’s near ethereal beauty.

                “Wow, that good.” Kuroo quipped sarcastically. “You’ve gotta love it when they’re…” Kuroo continued, mimicking Daichi’s gestures from a moment before.

                Daichi shot Kuroo an unimpressed look. “Anyways,” Daichi started, exhaling in frustration, “I don’t know what the _hell_ came over me but I decided to go over and talk to him once I saw that he was reading a fantasy book. _The same kind of crap I read._ ” Kuroo ‘oohed’ as Daichi emphasized Suga’s enjoyment of high fantasy. “So I went over to him and kind of spat out a request for a date. At light speed, apparently,” Daichi sighed.

                “Failing to see the problem here,” Kuroo mused, adding his toxic caffeine powder to the now-sludgy coffee mix on the stove, not turning his eyes to look at Daichi.

                “Well it turns out he couldn’t hear me and I was talking too damn fast to make even lip reading possible,” Daichi cursed himself in embarrassment. “I mean, we typed everything out on our phones so we could talk but I don’t know, shouldn’t sign language just be something I _know_?” Daichi finished, turning to Kuroo, now pouring several small bottles of energy shots into the mix.

                “Wait so this guy can read lips then? Why are you worrying?” Kuroo asked, now stirring an incredibly thick pot of coffee-powder-energy shot sludge that Daichi was 99% sure could induce a heart attack on ingestion. He shook his head in frustration.

                “Doesn’t that seem a little…I don’t know…lazy? I mean it’s clear he has to try pretty hard to understand what I’m saying when he reads my lips and he can’t always catch it. Typing takes a long time, so wouldn’t it be easier for me to learn a little bit so we could talk easier?” Daichi mumbled, attempting to put away some of the many pots Kuroo had strewn over the kitchen.

                Kuroo took the steaming – almost _smoking_ – pot off the stove and delicately laid a hand over his heart, mouth parting in mock awe. “Daichi are you thinking of putting _effort_ into a date instead of dwelling on how it could go wrong?” Kuroo questioned mockingly, wiping away an imaginary tear, “Our little boy is growing up.” Daichi fought the urge to throw something at the back of his head when he turned back to the counter, pouring the sludge into a Thermos. “But seriously Daichi, I’m sure it’ll go well. Just be yourself, or whatever.” Kuroo said, typing out a message on his phone, likely to inform Bokuto that his hellish drink was complete.

                “Are you feeling alright? That was an awfully kind thing to say,” Daichi mocked.

                Kuroo smirked, screwing the lid onto the Thermos, “I’m always this kind.” Daichi raised his eyebrows and gave him an incredulous look. “That look is uncalled for.” He continued. Daichi laughed at the comment, retreating back to his room to think.

**

                Daichi sat at his desk, anxiously tapping his pen against the tabletop, hand gripping his chin as he thought. Would it be weird of him to learn some sign language so he could talk to Suga? Or worse - would Suga be offended somehow? He dropped the pen and rubbed the base of his hands into his eye sockets. This easily took the prize for most-stressful-date ever - mostly because he wanted _so badly_ for it to go well. The thought of seeing Suga smile, the thought of getting to see him again and _again_ made this date high-stakes. He wanted to make an impression, a _good_ impression, so he could keep being around Suga. He pushed his thumb onto his computers ‘On’ switch in frustration, waiting impatiently for it to awaken. When the screen finally blinked to life, he navigated his way to a series of videos. _“Sign Language Basics”_ , the series read – Daichi clicked the first video apprehensively before rolling up the sleeves of his flannel shirt. He mimicked the signs awkwardly as the person in the video demonstrated them, the unfamiliar motions feeling foreign in his hands. He started with the basics, a simple and intuitive wave for _Hello_ , trying along the way to piece together small phrases he could use. _How are you? How was your day?_ Daichi stumbled through some of the signs, trying his best to remember the feel and flow of each one.

                Daichi rubbed his eyes after finishing a third video. He obviously couldn’t learn an entire language in an evening, but at the same time he was discouraged at how little he felt like he knew. He rubbed his eyes vigorously before looking at the clock, the time blinking just after one in the morning. He leaned back in his desk chair, stretching his stiff back and groaning as he heard the resulting cracks and pops. In his peripherals, he saw his phone light up as it buzzed with a text. Reaching over, Daichi unlocked it and pulled up the text from Suga.

**_I’m excited to get coffee tomorrow!_ **

**_Or I guess to get coffee today…it’s past midnight isn’t it?_** **_(_** ** _。･o_** ** _･｡)_**

                Daichi smiled, thankful for Suga’s excitement. It settled his nerves to know that he wasn’t dragging the man along on an uncomfortable date against his will. Or worse yet, he’s glad that it didn’t look like Suga agreed out of pity. He typed out a quick reply and hit send.

**_Nah, tomorrow comes after you sleep, whenever that is. But I’m excited too – I’ve been prepping all my dragon-knowledge to show off. :)_ **

                Daichi didn’t tell Suga what he was _actually_ brushing up on, mostly out of embarrassment. Was he too eager? Did it really matter? He wanted Suga to know that he was interested without coming off as creepy. His worries dissipated slightly with a quick reply indicated by the buzz of his phone.

**_Well I’ll have to brush up; I can’t let you outsmart me at my own fantasy-lore game. Get some sleep, Daichi! (_ ** **_∪_ ** **_｡_ ** **_∪)_ ** **_｡｡｡zzz_ **

                Daichi smiled down at his phone, the soft glow of the screen illuminating his face in the now dark room.

**_You too, goodnight Suga. :)_ **

                Daichi lightly tossed the phone onto his bed, sighing heavily. He probably should get some sleep, that is if he wanted to be anything resembling a functioning human being on his date with Suga tomorrow. _Right,_ Daichi thought, _I’m going on a date with Suga tomorrow._ He flopped onto his bed in frustration, burying his face into the pillow. He acknowledged that he was already so, _so_ screwed if just the _thought_ of a date left butterflies in his stomach.

**

                Daichi felt like he usually did just before any date, multiplied by about 40 times that is. Mostly, he felt like every stylistic choice he ever made was a mistake.  He struggled to flatten his hair where he just _knew_ he had an unruly cowlick popping up. He cursed himself for not considering his outfit more as he struggled to straighten out his denim-blue button up. He fussed over a crease for a few minutes anxiously as he waited outside the café. Was he too overdressed? Or probably underdressed? _Confidence is key,_ Daichi thought to himself. He tried to swallow down his nerves with minimal success as he shifted his weight from foot to foot anxiously.

                He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of approaching footfalls, glancing in the direction of the sound. He saw Suga walking towards him, fluttering silver hair looking ashy under the dim light caused by the clouds in the sky. He was dressed comfortably in a loose, cable knit sweater, a deep burgundy collar from a button-up peeking out the top. Any words Daichi had planned to say fell dead on his tongue, and he felt like everything he’d stayed up last night learning was gone because _how could he focus with this man in front of him?_  But he knew it was now or never, so he raised his hands confidently. His hands moved, choppy over the unfamiliar motions as he carefully traced through each sign.  **_Hey, you look great today!_** He signed, praying each motion was right.

                Suga’s face lit up, smile spreading and eyes crinkling at the corners in the way that made Daichi’s stomach flutter excitedly. He raised his hands, moving them gracefully (much more gracefully than Daichi could manage) through a series of movements that Daichi caught only a few words of. Flustered, Daichi tried to decode the message while reaching for his phone. Suga waved his hands to comfort Daichi, raising his phone for Daichi to see, message already typed out.

**_I said ‘Thank you, you look very handsome as well’! Your sign language is very good!_ **

                A blush tickled the top of Daichi’s ears as he read the message, but Suga’s positive reaction melted away most of the anxiety he held. He smiled lightly at Suga, opening the door to the quiet, tucked away café the two had decided on. Suga slid past Daichi – likely a little closer than was needed, hand lightly grazing Daichi’s bicep – and entered the café, eyes scanning the small, worn wooden tables and the counter nestled in the back. **_It’s nice!_**  Suga signed, clearly attempting to keep the signs simple so that Daichi had some shot and understanding them. Daichi nodded in agreement, **_Let’s get a drink,_** he motioned (a sign he had committed to memory, not too unlike his nervous habit of committing possible conversation topics to memories before dates).

                The two walked up to the counter together, eyes scanning the menu. Suga’s eyes perked up as he pulled his phone out, tapping his order out. Daichi reached for Suga’s phone, and Suga handed it to him delicately, a slightly confused look on his face. Daichi read the order Suga had typed out – _vanilla latte_ – and handed the phone back. He scanned his brain for another phrase; **_I’ll get yours for you._** A smirk spread across Suga’s lips as his eyebrows perked up. He typed out a sentence quickly.

**_Such a gentleman._ **

                Daichi laughed as he read it, tapping a reply.

**_I dragged you out here, it’s the least I can do._ **

                Suga laughed lightly, gesturing for Daichi to step towards the counter with a flourish. He conveyed the order to the barista behind the counter – a young man with long black bangs falling into his face – and waited with Suga for their drinks.

                The two settled at a small, two-seater table by the window with their hot mugs of coffee. Suga took an eager sip before rapidly setting his coffee down, fanning at his mouth while signing something Daichi could only assume meant **_hot!!_** Daichi stifled his laughter as Suga slowed the fanning at his mouth, looking up at Daichi and grinning.

                Daichi found that despite the fact that his sign language was subpar and choppy, the two talked for hours like old friends. The first topic was books, the two sharing titles and recommendations back and forth based on questions like _What’s the best book with an assassin character?_ Or _What’s the cheesiest but best book you’ve ever read?_ When Daichi’s signing failed him, and he had to type out his questions, Suga would reply first by signing and then typing – his motions likely slower than if he were talking to someone who actually _knew_ sign language. Daichi was incredibly grateful that Suga seemed to be helping him out. The only time the arrangement went off the rails was when Suga became particularly caught up in passionately describing his new favourite high fantasy series, hands moving fluidly through motions Daichi had never seen. He caught about two words, if he was being optimistic with himself. Daichi had reached for his phone, slightly flustered that he hadn’t understood Suga’s words.

**_I’m sorry I caught like, maybe two words of that. It’s a new series you like?_ **

                Daichi had flashed the message to Suga, a flush of embarrassment flooding over the other man’s face. He typed out a message on his phone, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he showed it to Daichi.

**_It’s the dragons. The dragons always get me excited._ **

                Suga had followed up the message with a lengthy paragraph about how it was _just the best book ever._ The conversations moved on quickly to other pass times – Daichi learned that they both played volleyball in community leagues in their spare time. Conversations between the two flowed seamlessly and simply as Daichi abandoned his anxiousness about the date. Long after their drinks were finished and the Sun had begun to fall in the sky, Daichi turned to Suga to show him a message typed out on his phone.

**_As much as I’d love to stay, I’m 99% sure the barista here is about to book us for loitering and I think we’re out of excuses to stay._ **

                Suga chuckled, a coy smirk spreading across his face as he typed a reply.

**_Are you worried about your criminal record Daichi? You don’t want to be some sort of delinquent?_ **

                A similar smirk found its way to Daichi’s face as he replied himself.

**_Coming from you?_ **

                A look of mock horror crossed Suga’s face as he lifted his phone in reply.

**_You’d be surprised Daichi, I’m quite the troublemaker. I have a real reputation on the streets._ **

                The thought of Suga as a delinquent crossed Daichi’s mind, and he had to try not to laugh at the mental image. Understandably, it was hard for him to picture the man across from him – bundled in an oversized sweater that Suga occasionally pulled down over his hands – doing anything even minutely morally reprehensible. A true badass sat across from him. Daichi thought for a moment before typing his reply.

**_Well then, I guess you probably don’t need anyone to walk home with you, since you’ll be safe and all. The other baddies will be quivering in a corner._ **

                Suga read the note and pouted slightly, raising his phone.

**_Well I never said_ that.**

                Daichi laughed aloud at that, sliding his phone away, preparing his hands for motion. **_Can I walk you home, Suga?_** He signed, allowing a small smile to rest on his face. Suga grinned and signed in reply, **_Yes, I think I’d like that._** The two rose from the table, legs aching slightly after sitting for so long, and exited the café. Daichi walked comfortably beside Suga, continuing to half-sign, half-type as they chatted.

                They walked comfortably for a few more minutes, Daichi typing out stories about Kuroo and Bokuto’s many escapades that tended to end in either property damage or physical harm. Daichi made a mental note to build up a stockpile of these stories, as they never ceased to bring a bright, wide smile to Suga’s face. As he was finishing off a particularly damaging story about the last time Kuroo and Bokuto tried to build a campfire, Suga pulled at his sleeve lightly, motioning to the apartment building on Daichi’s right. His heart dropped slightly, disappointed that the outing had to come to an end. Suga pulled out his phone and typed out a message quickly.

**_I’d really like to see you again._ **

                Daichi’s heart leapt - a sharp contrast to the drop a few seconds earlier. Suga wanted to see him again - and he _definitely_ wanted to see Suga again. A smile spread across his face, giddy like a teenager on their first date, as he pulled out his own phone and formulated a reply.

**_Me too. There are more important dragon topics that need to be covered. And you’re not too bad to look at either. So it’s win-win I guess :)_ **

                Suga read his reply quickly, bringing his dark brown eyes – flecked with gold – up to Daichi’s. He made a quick motion with his hands, wiggling fingers flowing out from his mouth before reaching back to his phone.

**_That means dragon, by the way. It seems like a word that’s going to come up a lot in conversation._ **

                Daichi read the message, laughing slightly. He brought his hands to his mouth, attempting to mimic the sign Suga had just shown him. He looked to Suga for approval, meeting the other man’s eyes. Daichi couldn’t stop himself from staring at the way soft wisps of hair fluffed up in a way that was almost unruly from the crown of his head. He was mesmerized by the way his eyes scrunched up happily when he smiled, toothy and full.Suga exhaled lightly and signed something quickly. Daichi became flustered, he had only understood a few of the words as Suga’s hands flew, maybe he had said _you_ and _me_? He dug anxiously in his pocket for his phone as Suga stepped in to close the distance between them. The space between the two had grown incredibly small, and Daichi found his breath caught in his chest as he took in Suga’s face at this distance. His long eyelashes cast light shadows down onto his cheeks when the light hit his face at this angle, and the same light illuminated all of the shining gold flecks and rings in the deep chocolate of Suga’s eyes. Suga’s hands moved in the same motion this time, more slowly. Daichi missed the first sign, the second he understood (a finger to the chest meant “I” or “me”). The third sign was another unknown one, each hand clamped together like a shadow-puppet face, tapping together slightly. Suga finished by pointing at Daichi, a sign he knew meant “you”. _Oh_ , Daichi thought, piecing together the meaning of the signs, **_oh._** He swallowed hard, looking intensely at Suga before nodding slightly, nerves bubbling up in his chest.

                Daichi raised a nervous hand to cup Suga’s cheek, leaning in to close the final distance between them. Suga met him halfway – small, soft lips pressing lightly on Daichi’s own. Air rushed from Daichi’s lungs, leaving him feeling lightheaded with the subtle minty taste of Suga’s chapstick that mixed pleasantly with the remnants of sweet coffee. Daichi’s other hand fell to Suga’s hip, pulling him in closer as Suga’s own hands fell to his shoulders. It ended all too soon, Daichi cursed, and the two pulled apart. Daichi’s thumb gently caressed the peak of Suga’s cheekbone as the other man let out a flustered breath, a rosy blush left behind on the area Daichi traced with his thumb.  He was fairly sure he looked even more flustered.

                Daichi smiled bashfully at Suga, eyes glancing down briefly to his feet as he recalled a specific phrase he had tried to learn last night. He raised his hands, beginning by pointing his finger to his chest, flowing through the motions of the phrase and finishing by motioning his hand over his face before allowing his fingers to bloom outward. **_I think I like you. I think you’re beautiful._** Daichi hoped he remembered all the motions correctly, and judging by the blush that dusted itself on Suga’s cheeks, he did. Suga brought his phone out again, typing a message and turning it for Daichi to see.

**_Such a smooth talker~. Goodnight, Daichi. I’ll see you soon._ **

                Suga tucked his phone away, looking back up at Daichi. He lifted his hands and drew them through the same motions that Daichi had moments before, albeit with more grace and precision. He stepped forward, lightly placing a hand on Daichi’s shoulders and pressing another soft kiss to his cheek before stepping back towards the door to the brightly coloured apartment building. Daichi waved goodbye lightly, returned by Suga as he pulled open the large glass door, disappearing into the building. Daichi grinned to himself, giddy like a teenager experiencing their first love. He turned to walk back towards his own apartment, fingers lightly grazing his lips where he could still feel Suga’s mouth on his own.

**

                Daichi’s phone buzzed on top of his desktop, the sound snapping him out of his intense concentration. He flipped the phone over to see a text from a familiar contact – _Suga._ Months had passed since their first interaction – awkward and hopeful.

**_Daichi! I thought of a perfect new sign for you to learn while I was at work today._ **

                Suga had linked to a video in his text, and Daichi tapped the link. A quick video opened, a woman setting the hands to the side of her head, opening and closing them for **_donkey._** Daichi huffed out a laugh and tapped a quick response.

**_Do you plan on telling me important donkey stories?_ **

                A reply buzzed quickly on his phone.

**_I’m just trying to further your education, no need for an attitude!  (_ ** **_⊙△⊙_ ** **_✿)_ **

                Daichi flicked his eyes to the screen of the phone, reading the reply quickly to ensure he didn’t miss the hand motions on the video he had pulled up for himself. He turned back to the screen, hands at the ready, sleeves of his flannel shirt rolled to the elbow in a way that had become customary for his daily lessons. His hands had begun to move more confidently through the motions, common words familiar in his hands. He traced a motion out with his hands, one that had become nearly second nature to him. A quick pointer finger to the chest, a fist brought to his lips and pulled away, a finger pointed away. **_I love you._**

 

**Author's Note:**

> I write one-shots that are longer than multiple chapters in my other fics. Ah well. Also, this was based on my fairly limited knowledge of ASL, not JSL (which I sadly know nothing about) - so excuse that inaccuracy! 
> 
> Kuroo's demon coffee brew (pray for Bokuto) was inspired by a post I saw ages ago on tumblr about someones roommate who brewed a similar sludge after their computer died and had an assignment due (if anyone can remember the user who posted the story message me so I can give them appropriate credit for their suffering).


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